1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to shipping and retail display devices and more particularly to a modular low cost pallet and shelf assembly using conventional hardware.
2. Description of Related Art
Products shipped from the manufacturer or producer are often shipped to the retailers in corrugated boxes. Typically, these boxes are loaded onto wooden pallets, lifted with a forklift onto a shipping container, and unloaded into the container for transportation to the retail outlet. When the goods arrive at the retail outlet, the corrugated boxes are removed from the shipping container, loaded onto pallets, moved to the retail display location or storage using a forklift or similar device. The products are then removed from the corrugated boxes, and placed on retail display.
There are several problems associated with the aforementioned procedures. Unloading and loading the corrugated boxes is a labor-intensive procedure, often resulting in damage to the products and/or the corrugated boxes. It is also common for the products to be damaged when the corrugated boxes (which are typically stacked during storage and transportation) collapse.
Another problem with these procedures is that the corrugated boxes are not generally reusable, and must be broken down and disposed of by the retail outlets. Alternative wood racking systems, such as those employed in nurseries, do not solve this problem. These racking systems are also difficult to transport, require labor intensive procedures to unload transported products and display them at a retail level, and cannot be broken down easily at the retail outlet. These devices are also typically held together with nails, which further complicate their disassembly and storage, and make any return to the manufacturer generally unprofitable.
As the foregoing indicates, there is a need for efficient transportation of products from the manufacturer or producer to retail display. The present invention satisfies that need.
The present invention discloses a racking system using a modular pallet and shelving assembly. This racking system is easily constructed and broken down, and which uses conventional, standardized, and readily available hardware. The design of the present invention directs the weight of the rack to a metal structure advantageously placed in relation to the pallet. Even when used with a commonly available wooden pallet, this design is exceptionally strong, allowing the unit to be lifted and transported with a forklift or pallet jack. This system provides an efficient system for delivering material and products to the marketplace (or to warehouses for later retail sales) without damage. The present invention also allows material and products to be removed from trucks by forklift, and placed directly on retail display.
Because the present system also utilizes reusable metal shelving, it can be easily broken down. This allows the system to be reused on site, disposed of by selling the racking system as a complete package, or in its component parts, or simply returned to the shipper or manufacturer for re-use. Further, because the design of the present invention is both simple and strong, the system can be more space efficiently constructed to take advantage of the available truck container space.